News: The Baltimore Sun reports Erik Bedard (knee) threw off flat ground Monday and reported no pain. He still has to next throw off a mound, and after that he will have to go on a rehab stint of about two weeks.

Analysis: At this point it appears Bedard could return to the Orioles' rotation sometime in mid-July. Hayden Penn will continue to start in his absence

Just remember that knees are funny things. Anyone who has ever had a knee injury can attest to that. Bedard has been sitting for just a/b a month. I actually had an identical injury to Bedard (MCL sprain) when I was much younger (18) & b/c it was a somewhat severe sprain was on crutches for over 2 weeks. The O's initially said it was a "mild" sprain but I'd say the average timetable for a standard MCL sprain is something like 4-6 weeks. Especially w/ pitchers who need their leg strength, the fact that he threw at 4 weeks out is a good sign. He'll be back & hopefully our patience will be rewarded. It seems like forever but its only been a month.